This evaluation summarizes the findings of an external evaluation of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences South Africa (AIMS-SA). The evaluation assessed AIMS-SA's relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability based on interviews and surveys of alumni. Key findings include that AIMS-SA is building African capacity in mathematical sciences and addressing development challenges, and 89% of alumni reported it increased their awareness of math's role. However, concerns about long-term sustainability were raised given reliance on external support. The evaluation concludes AIMS-SA has been successful but should strengthen impact reporting and address sustainability challenges.

1. Independent
External
Evaluation
April, 2012
Transformational
Development Results (TDR)
International

2. Accountability
Learning &
Improvement
Knowledge
development:
Oversight and
compliance
Relevance
Efficiency
EffectivenessImpact
Sustainability
Purposes of evaluations
Global criteria for
programme evaluations

3. Background
AIMS -SA
Academic
Postgraduate Diploma
Collaborative Honours
Degree
Research AIMSSEC
Mathematical Thinking,
Problem Sovling and
Technology in Teaching
and Learning
Advanced Certificate in
Education

4. AIMS has produced graduates, researchers and
improved the skills of Math teachers…
SO WHAT??? What has changed?
What is the correlation between the AIMS
experience and what the alumni are doing today or
what they are planning to do?
Is the AIMS-SA model a relevant and critipoint on the
change continuum towards cal addressing the
development challenges of Africa?
Key Evaluation Questions
Evaluation Methodology
108
documents
reviewed
86 Semi-
structured
Interviews
04 focus
group
discussion04
focus group
discussion
204 Alumni
interviewed
Evaluation Methodology

5. Evaluation Framework

6. Impact of any education program is long term,
complex and best achieved through a longitudinal
study of graduates
High response rate from recent graduates, where
ability to make a difference may still be limited while
evidence of impact may lie with the earlier graduates
Stratified FGD with alumni as a result of primary
responses provided was not undertaken
All data sets utilized highly subjective in nature and
thus triangulation process required significant
organization and time
Data analysis
Limitations of the Evaluation

7. RELEVANCE EFFICIENCY
IMPACT SUSTAINABILITY
KEY
FINDINGS

8. AIMS-SA contributes in building a
strong base of African researchers
who will address Africa’s
development challenges
89% of Alumni reported AIMS-SA
increased their awareness on the
role mathematical sciences can play
in addressing Africa’s challenges
Recognition and value of AIMS-SA in
helping to meet the mandates of
NEPAD and UNESCO .
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage
Before arriving When you graduated
FIGURE 13. ROLE AND PURPOSE OF AIMS AS
IDENTIFIED BY THE ALUMNI, BEFORE
ARRIVING, IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATION
AND CURRENTLY
RELEVANCE

9. AIMS-SA, through its partnership with
Stellenbosch
University, demonstrates efficiency
through:
Shared services and resources with
local and international partners
Use of volunteer international
lecturers contributed significantly
towards efficiency
PGD, the Research Centre and the
AIMSSEC program, despite being a
part of AIMS-SA, function
independently in areas where
increases in efficiencies could be
achieved e.g. resource mobilization
EFFICIENCY
EFFICIENCY – COST/PGD STUDENT

10. AIMS-SA facilitated the creation of the South African Centre for
Epidemiological Modelling (SACEMA)
Significant contribution to Alumni’s current careers or
educational paths
Active participation in several national, continental and global
networks
AIMS-SA contributes to instilling an increased understanding of
Africa’s challenges among the alumni
Research outputs (publications) and the growth of the
Research Centre
EFFECTIVNESS

11. Government of
South Africa +++
80% of respondents in
semi structured
interviews are
concerned about
sustainability at the
institutional level
Strong evidence of
sustainability for
alumni at the
individual level for
knowledge and skills
acquired at AIMS-SA
Strong evidence of the contribution towards
impact at the individual level for AIMS-SA
Alumni.
Alumni survey reported strong
contribution, and in some cases attribution
of current success, of Alumni to AIMS-SA.
With the absence of a counterfactual
scenario or control group as part of this
evaluation, the results from the analysis of
the findings have been classified as
contributions towards impact.
Evidence continues to be built that will
further demonstrate AIMS-SA’s contribution
towards impact within the Mathematical
Sciences sector and in addressing Africa’s
development challenges.
IMPACTSUSTAINABILITY

12. Evaluating the effectiveness of an AIMS-SA Education
AIMS-SA
University
In Sweden
Private
Sector
University
of Rochester
Church
Civil Society
Developing
Country
Gov’ts
Family
support

14. Elevating the value and need for mathematical sciences and positioning mathematical sciences
AIMS-SA is achieving its goal of building the capacity of Africans in mathematical sciences and doing so in
manner that is unique and empowering for the young Africans who have gone through AIMS-SA.
The relevance of AIMS-SA is clear and strong; it is a highly efficient institution and has produced outputs
within the last seven years that speak strongly to its effectiveness.
There remains, however, important challenges AIMS-SA needs to address related to:
How it constitutes and reports on its results and contribution towards impact
Sustaining the AIMS-SA model in the absence of external (International) support in the long term.
Recognizing and working with in addressing the brain exchange vs brain drain challenge.
CONCLUSIONS

15. The design of the AIMS-
SA model
Reporting of results and
achievement of AIMS-SA
The evaluation
Lessons learnedKey Recommendations
Integration
Theory of
Change
Academic-
research
centre and
outreach
Future career
paths
Engage
alumni
beyond
current effort
Strategic and
operational
plan

16. The End
Thank YOU!!!!
“What we see depends mainly on what we
look for ”
−Sir John Lubbock
“The important thing is not to stop
questioning.”
−Albert Einstein